AGE prevention includes which practice during ascent?

AGE prevention includes which practice during ascent?

• A. Never hold breath during ascent
• B. Descend rapidly
• C. Ignore illnesses
• D. Exhale continuously during emergency ascent

Answer: (D)

Preventing acute gas embolism during ascent comes down to controlled breathing, specifically exhaling as you rise. As you ascend, ambient pressure drops, causing gas in the lungs to expand. If you hold your breath, that expanding air can overinflate the lungs and push dissolved nitrogen into the bloodstream, creating gas bubbles that can lead to AGE. Exhaling continuously during ascent provides a safe outlet for the expanding air and helps prevent lung overexpansion and bubble formation in the blood. This is true even in an emergency ascent, where rapid rise can occur but maintaining an ongoing exhale minimizes the risk. While not holding your breath is a good general rule, the practice most directly aimed at preventing AGE during ascent is to exhale continuously.

Preventing acute gas embolism during ascent comes down to controlled breathing, specifically exhaling as you rise. As you ascend, ambient pressure drops, causing gas in the lungs to expand. If you hold your breath, that expanding air can overinflate the lungs and push dissolved nitrogen into the bloodstream, creating gas bubbles that can lead to AGE. Exhaling continuously during ascent provides a safe outlet for the expanding air and helps prevent lung overexpansion and bubble formation in the blood. This is true even in an emergency ascent, where rapid rise can occur but maintaining an ongoing exhale minimizes the risk. While not holding your breath is a good general rule, the practice most directly aimed at preventing AGE during ascent is to exhale continuously.